Sterling Silver Jewelry Care Instructions
All of Jade Bear Gems sterling silver jewelry is handcrafted in .925 sterling silver. Sterling Silver or 925 sterling is more durable and less prone to wear and tear than pure silver, copper is often added to the silver. Purity standards for sterling silver are set at the threshold of 92.5%, therefore 7.5% of the alloy can be copper or another metal (usually nickel or zinc).
How to clean sterling silver jewelry
Sterling silver jewelry will last for many years if maintained properly, so a little regular cleaning goes a long way.
Sterling Silver Jewelry Care Instructions are as follows:
- Let’s get started by gathering your tools, including a good sterling silver cleaning solution, a clean, lint-free cloth, a polishing cloth, and a gentle cleaning tool such as a soft-bristled toothbrush or you can use a clean makeup brush. No matter if you’re using a homemade cleaning solution (like toothpaste) or a commercial silver jewelry cleaning solution, make sure you have enough if you’re going to clean several pieces at a time. Be cautious as not all solutions are safe for gemstones if your sterling silver jewelry has a gemstone.
- Clean each piece of sterling silver jewelry with your soft-bristled toothbrush or makeup brush. You can also use a lint-free cloth or a polishing cloth made specifically for sterling silver jewelry. If you’re using a cleaning solution, make sure to rinse your piece thoroughly with clean water afterwards to ensure there is no soap residue remaining.
- Once all the cleaning solution has been rinsed off with clean water, dry your jewelry completely using a lint-free cloth. Excess moisture is one of the most common causes of sterling silver becoming tarnished, which can also cause your finger, neck, ear lobe or wrist to turn green depending on where you are wearing your beautiful sterling silver jewelry. Do not store your jewelry when it’s damp! Tarnishing is a natural chemical process that takes place when silver is exposed to oxygen for long periods of time. To prevent tarnishing, wear your sterling silver jewelry. To store your sterling silver jewelry, especially for longer periods of time, clean it with your polishing cloth first, then wrap it in plastic wrap or place it inside a plastic food storage bag.
- If you have a jewelry polishing cloth, this is the most effective polishing tool for removing tarnish on sterling silver jewelry. The cloth is impregnated with jeweler's rouge (an extremely fine polishing compound) on one side. Once the tarnish removal and polishing has been completed, use the other side to buff the sterling silver. You can use the jewelry polishing cloth without fear of harming semi-precious or precious stones, shell beads, crystals, or whatever else might be a part of your jewelry besides the precious metals. (Do be careful when using the jewelry polishing cloth near light-colored materials such as pearls, ivory, or opal, as the red rouge could stain them.)
